Of the branches of Protestant Christianity, the Episcopal Church has long been one of the most influential to American life historically, with members represented by nearly a quarter of elected Presidents and three-quarters of the original signers of the Declaration of Independence. As such, it’s not at all surprising that the church has long been a source of community support and leadership, especially in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The best ministers of the Episcopal Church aren’t just effective preachers, they’re community leaders and organizers dedicated to not just improving the lives of their flock, but also the common good, come hell or high water.

In the wake of shifting economic trends, the devastating COVID-19 pandemic of the early 2020s, and more, resilient leadership has become a necessity for modern churches, and the Episcopal Church is no exception. Reverend Tom Simmons of St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, located in Purcellville, Virginia, knows this firsthand, and has dedicated his life and career to lifting up both community and Christ through servant leadership. He was made a priest in 1998, and rose to Rector of St. Peter’s in 2002, and in the over twenty years since then he’s been an active participant in the community and a leader for his church in times of both good times and bad.

Today, Reverend Simmons seeks opportunities to teach and lead, with a particular appreciation for the agility and resilience required in today’s world. The challenges faced by modern churches are many. THere are of course the usual challenges that come with leading a volunteer organization and faith community, but these are magnified by social trends , like the decline of Christian faith and the profusion of alternatives, ranging from from kids sports to polarized politics. Being an effective leader and minister in this environment takes vision, authenticity, vigorous resilience, adaptability and creative entrepreneurship . Reverend Simmons strives to embody those traits in his own work, and to build skilled and dedicated teams at St. Peter’s, making the most of their time, talent and treasure to make an impact in this world.

Prayer has played a growing role in this work. “In the last three years, St. Peter’s has become ‘A Praying Church.’ We are much more disciplined in praying for each other and for the needs of the world around us. This has changed how I pray personally. I have developed a habit of praying for people daily, using prayer cards to capture people's needs (and my own!),” Rev. Simmons says. “This has helped me keep track of people’s needs much more consistently.”

Path To Ministry

Early on, Reverend Simmons didn’t intend to answer the call to ministry. After earning his Masters in Divinity from Westminster Seminary in 1993, he followed Jonah and ran away from God’s call. He joined the Army and worked as a staffer on Capitol Hill for both the House and the Senate. Like Jonah, however, he found himself redirected once more toward ministry.

“My two pastors, who had a big influence on me in college and seminary, modeled ministry in ways I didn’t think I could live up to,” Simmons recalls. “I didn’t think I could do it…or that I WANTED to!!” But several years later, he was given “an offer he couldn’t refuse. He was called to work in a small, suffering church in Haymarket, Virginia. With the support of his Bishop, Simmons learned to use his gifts of creative vision and leadership to teach and connect with others, raising the congregation's low morale and resolving ongoing conflict between leaders to find a productive way forward.

He said, “This success proved to me that I could do it. At the Bishop’s urging I entered the ordination process in the Diocese of Virginia. It was very challenging and forced me to reflect in fruitful ways on my background, my strengths and weaknesses.”He got his M.A. in Christian Education from Virginia Theological Seminary in 1998, and completed the ordination process in the Diocese of Virginia.

After ordination, Simmons worked as the Assistant Rector at a large church in Richmond for four years, serving under three different Priests during the transition period. He learned much from each of their different skill sets and approaches to ministry. “Getting to work with Doug, Charlie and Bob was a fantastic way to begin in ordained life. I gained so much from their examples” When the time came for him to launch and rise to the responsibilities of a Rector, Reverend Simmons felt prepared to take St. Peter’s Episcopal Church head-on.

Leadership Through Hardship

His early confidence would prove justified, with the church doubling in size twice in a six year span—but the good times did not last. The struggles of 2008 were hard on nearly everyone in the United States; Rev. Simmons and his church were no exception. The year-and-a-half of struggle was difficult and educational simultaneously, and the lessons learned both during that time and in the 2010 rebuilding process persist today.

“In terms of my calling, this crisis felt like the first time I had ever failed, as an adult,” Rev. Simmons recalls. “My ambition for success and my self-image as the successful young Rector ‘headed places’ took some severe body blows. Ultimately that was a helpful refining process for me, and it forced me to greater humility, patience, openness, spiritual discipline and more intention developing my leadership skills.”

These refinements and lessons would come in handy a decade later during the COVID-19 pandemic, which echoed the struggles of 2008 and ended with a church smaller than before—but “St. Peeps” (as Simmons calls them) proved resilient. . Post-2009 resilience programs and efforts to expand the Church campus, network with local organizations, and build a team on effective leadership foundations have proven effective in maintaining positive community outreach and keeping St. Peter’s running. A large portion of St. Peter’s ongoing survival and success as a community fixture can be credited to Rev. Simmons’ leadership, predicated as it is on faith, teamwork, authenticity, and resilience.

“My aptitudes and gifts as a leader leave me sometimes lacking when it comes to providing consistent, hands-on care and support for suffering people in the congregation,” Rev. Simmons says. “My approach has been to share that work with a team of people strong in empathy, intuitive care and connection. Together we maintain awareness of people’s needs and collaborate in providing multiple “touches” for people enduring illness, loss or other kinds of struggle.”

Community Leadership By Example

Reverend Tom Simmons and St. Peter’s Episcopal Church are deeply involved with their community both locally and abroad. For a small church, St. Peter’s has a large number of missionary partnerships abroad, namely in Guatemala and Liberia, and has recently been reaching out to establish new partnerships in Romania, Peru and the Amazon Basin. 

The people of St. Peter’s are also heavily invested in efforts aimed at serving on the home front. They played a large role in creating Tree of Life, a local food pantry and holistic care for the poorest in the community. St. Peter’s people have provided core staffing (both paid and volunteer) to sustain and dramatically expand that ministry to adjacent cities.

The church also hosts a handful of ‘Famous Events’ annually to leverage the strength of their hospitality for the community’s benefit. Mardi Gras, Independence Day, “Bless Your Pets” on the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi, Thanksgiving Together, and Christmas Eve are all hosted and opened to the community for food, music, fun, and prayer.

The people of St. Peter’s have also been able to leverage their property as a platform for ministry with local partners, which over the years have included Ketoctic Covenant Presbyterian Church, Loudoun Valley Baptist Church, Hope Lutheran Mission, Genesis Day Care, Loudoun Classical School, Good Shepherd School, and a homeschool speech and debate co-op.

These partnerships are made possible by the intense efforts Fr Tom has spearheaded to improve the church’s facilities. One of the things I am most proud of is the immense progress we have made over the last 10 years improving and upgrading and modernizing all aspects of our buildings and grounds to maximize their beauty, usefulness and capacity,” Simmons adds. “We have many talented people and have been able to do an amazing amount of it ourselves, which gives a ton of ‘bang for the buck.’ This has, in turn, enabled us to share our property with other organizations .” Father Tom's woodworking skills and equipment have contributed much to these projects. 

Reverend Simmons is a teacher at heart, and is always looking for new opportunities to teach. However, responsibilities as Rector have often limited his time to prepare fresh course material. With the advent of easy video production, streaming and online media platforms he’s excited for his next project: an upcoming podcast discussing the Bible and ministry in our society.

“I am hoping that the podcast, with its compact, accessible format, will allow me to spread my teaching wings again within St. Peter’s and to reach an ever-wider audience,” he says. “I want to get back to teaching and I think it could help strengthen St. Peter’s for the future. This format makes it easier to develop content and to draw a crowd to share it.”